The present invention relates to an improved control apparatus for controlling operation of an opening rod that presses open a fuel lid covering a fuel supply opening of a motor vehicle and operation of a lock member for locking a slide door of the vehicle in a closed position.
Control apparatus for a fuel lid and slide door in a motor vehicle have been known, for example, from JP-A-11-115496, which includes an opening rod for opening the fuel lid of the vehicle and a lock member for locking the slide door and where the opening rod and the lock member operate in interlocked relation to each other.
FIG. 14 hereof is a side view of a motor vehicle disclosed in JP-A-11-115496, which is provided with the conventional fuel lid/slide door control apparatus. In the motor vehicle 100, the slide door 102 is disposed on a left side 101 of a vehicle body for horizontal sliding movement therealong, and the fuel lid 103 is disposed rearwardly of the slide door 102 for opening/closing movement. If the slide door 102 is moved toward the rear of the vehicle into an open position, the fuel lid 103 would be undesirably hidden behind the slide door 102. Therefore, in the vehicle 100, a locking device 104 is provided to prevent the slide door 103 from being moved manually or by electric power when the fuel lid 103 is in an open position. In order to thus prevent the opening movement of the slide door 102 while the fuel lid 103 is open, it is necessary to control the locking device 104 by means of the control apparatus 105 in response to the opening/closing of the fuel lid 103.
The control apparatus 105 includes an opening rod 106 provided adjacent to the reverse side of the fuel lid 103 for opening the fuel lid 103, and the locking device 104 disposed on a floor 107 of the vehicle 100 for locking the slide door 102 to prevent opening movement of the door 102. The control apparatus 105 controls the opening rod 106 and locking device 104 to operate in interlocked relation to each other. As the control apparatus 105 projects the opening rod 106 rearward to open the fuel lid 103, it shifts the locking device 104 to a locking position so as to prevent opening of the slide door 102 while the fuel lid 103 is open. Conversely, as the control apparatus 105 retracts the opening rod 106 with the fuel lid 103 closed, it shifts the locking device 104 to an unlocking position so as to permit opening of the slide door 102.
The locking device 104 includes a locking member provided adjacent to the floor of the vehicle 100 for interlocked movement with the opening rod 106. Particularly, where the vehicle 100 is used in a cold district, the locking member may sometimes be frozen held in the unlocking position. In case the locking member is frozen held in the unlocking position, the opening rod 106 can not be projected because of its interlocked relation to the locking member. When the locking member is frozen held in the unlocking position, the opening rod can not be projected to open the fuel lid even if the fuel lid 103 has been released from a locked state.
In view of the foregoing prior art problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved fuel lid/slide door control apparatus which, even when a slide-door locking member is frozen held in an unlocking position, can project an opening rod to open a fuel lid.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a control apparatus for a fuel lid and slide door (i.e., fuel lid/slide door control apparatus) of the type which includes an opening rod for opening the fuel lid and a locking member for locking the slide door, and in which, when the fuel lid is opened by projecting movement of the opening rod, control is performed to prevent the opening of the slide door by means of the locking member, but, when the opening rod is retracted by closing movement of the fuel lid, control is performed to permit the opening of the slide door by shifting the locking member to an unlocking position. The control apparatus of the invention comprises: a first moving member and second moving member provided between the opening rod and the locking member for interlocked movement with respect to each other, the first moving member being connected to the opening rod, the second moving member being connected to the locking member via a coupler unit, the second moving member being pressed against the first moving member via a resilient member; and a detection section connected to the first moving member for detecting a projected state and retracted state of the opening rod. As the opening rod is retracted by the closing movement of the fuel lid, the second moving member is pressed by the first moving member, connected to the opening rod, to move in a first direction together with the first moving member, while, as the opening rod is projected, the second moving member is caused to move, in a second direction different from the first direction, together with the first moving member by a biasing force of the resilient member.
Even in the case where the locking member is frozen held in the unlocking position to place the second moving member in locked condition, the arrangements of the present invention allow only the first moving member to move so as to project the opening rod. Further, because the first moving member moves together with the opening rod when the rod is projected to open the fuel lid, the detection section, connected to the first moving member, can detect the opening of the fuel lid. Thus, when the fuel lid has been opened with the locking member frozen held in the unlocking position, the opening of the fuel lid can be detected by the detection section.
In an embodiment, the first moving member and second moving member are in the form of a first pivot lever and second pivot lever which are pivotably supported together at their respective proximal ends via a pivot shaft, and the second pivot lever is normally pressed against an engaging piece of the first pivot lever by the biasing force of the resilient member. Because the opening rod and locking member are operatively connected with each other through a simple construction comprising only the two pivot levers and the engaging piece provided on one of the levers, the fuel lid/slide door control apparatus of the invention can be significantly reduced in size and cost. In addition, designing flexibility of the fuel lid/slide door control apparatus can be enhanced.
In one embodiment, the coupler unit has an elongated hole formed in an end portion thereof, and the locking member has a projecting pin fitted in the elongated hole of the coupler unit in such a manner that the coupler unit is movable relative to the locking member in a longitudinal direction of the elongated hole. Thus, the second moving member connected to the locking member via the coupler unit having the elongated hole is movable when the locking member is held in a locking position for locking the slide door. Because the second moving member can be caused to move through a simple construction comprising the coupler unit with the elongated hole, the fuel lid/slide door control apparatus of the invention can be further reduced in size and cost. In addition, the designing flexibility of the fuel lid/slide door control apparatus can be enhanced further.